Hand-Held Power Tool Battery Interface Corrosion Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-operated hand-held power tools face issues with electrolytic corrosion due to exposure to wet environments, leading to reduced functionality and safety, which affects their classification in standardized protection classes.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held power tool design featuring a housing with a contact plate and retaining means that securely fixes the rechargeable battery pack interface, preventing moisture penetration and ensuring high contact pressure, thus preventing electrolytic corrosion and ensuring safe operation in wet conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If contact elements and countercontact elements are exposed to wet surroundings for information transmission, then additional information exchange between devices is enabled, but electrolytic corrosion occurs leading to reduced functioning and safety
Solution Approach 1:
A plastic housing acts as an intermediary barrier between the contact elements and the wet environment. The housing includes sealing elements that prevent moisture from reaching the electrical contact elements, thereby maintaining both information exchange capability and preventing electrolytic corrosion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a protected environment around the contact elements by enclosing them in a housing with sealing elements. This effectively isolates the contact elements from the harmful wet surroundings, maintaining an inert protective atmosphere that prevents electrolytic corrosion while allowing electrical functions to operate reliably.
2Loss of information
If additional contact elements are implemented in interfaces, then more information can be exchanged between devices, but the complexity of the interface structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the contact elements, acts as a seal against moisture, offers mechanical protection, and maintains the spatial arrangement of multiple contact elements. This multi-functionality allows complex information exchange capabilities without proportionally increasing overall interface complexity.
3Reliability
If contact elements are protected from moisture, then electrolytic corrosion is prevented, but the design complexity of the housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the protective housing structure with the contact element assembly into a single integrated unit. The sealing elements are integrated into the housing design rather than being separate components, and the contact elements are positioned within the housing structure itself. This integration reduces overall design complexity while maintaining effective moisture protection and corrosion resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held power tool includes: a housing and a rechargeable battery pack. A housing interface unit of the housing cooperates with a rechargeable battery pack interface unit of the rechargeable battery pack to provide a mechanical and electrical connection between the hand-held power tool and the rechargeable battery pack. The rechargeable battery pack interface unit includes a locking element, and the housing interface unit includes a contact plate having at least one contact element configured for the electrical contacting with countercontact elements of the rechargeable battery pack. The contact plate represents a component which is detachably connected to the housing, and the contact plate also includes a retaining element for additional fixing of the rechargeable battery pack interface unit to the contact plate.